Critic Reviews

Starpath version
There are many arcade ports on the 2600. While most are good (especially Missile Command, Asteroids, Ms. Pac-Man, and Jr. Pac-Man), there can be only one arcade port worthy of being called "the greatest arcade port on the Atari 2600", and the arcade port worthy of that claim is the Supercharger version of Frogger. It's amazing at what an extra 6KB of RAM can do for programming such great games. Supercharger Frogger is very rare, so consider yourself lucky if you have it or if you find it. If you buy this game from a classic gaming dealer, you may have to shell out at least $25, but trust me...it's more than worth it.

The good news? It’s Frogger, with action that nicely replicates the fun, addictive action of the arcade version. The bad news? Not much of anything, really. It goes without saying that you will have to take your graphical expectations down a few notches, but otherwise this is a spot-on arcade-to-console translation.

Question: "Why did the frog cross the road?" Answer: "Because someone wanting to have a great time put a quarter in a Frogger Arcade game." One of the most beloved videogames ever created, Frogger appeals to males and females of all ages. With its easily understandable objective, yet maddeningly addictive and highly challenging game play, Frogger broke into the mainstream of entertainment in a big way. It never quite reached the level of Space Invaders or Pac-Man, but it is considered something of a cultural icon.

This brilliant version of Frogger has arcade quality graphics, precise control, and all the elements of the original. It even has that catchy in-game music, one of my favorite video game tunes of all time. The gameplay is utter joy. Hopping between cars and crossing logs requires anticipation, in addition to good timing. Bonuses like the fly and lady frog provide extra points, but such "glory seeking" can lead to careless mistakes. Frogger is simple, fun, and addicting. This is one of the best home versions you can get.

The controls are responsive, but your frog takes large hops, making it hard to move side-to-side on the river screen without falling into the water. It's especially challenging to reach the far left section of the riverbank. That flaw is probably the only thing preventing Frogger from getting an A+. Parker Bros. did a bang-up job of faithfully adapting this irresistible game to the Odyssey 2. Note: Frogger was not originally released in North American, but is included on the Odyssey 2 multi-cart.

This version of Frogger appears to be a direct port of the arcade game, which is a good thing. It's much more fun than the horrible 3D treatment that poor Frogger was subjected to on the Playstation. This is quite addicting and features very catchy music. My only complaint is that there are no extra options or game variations. I mean, c'mon, even the Atari 2600 had a few different modes and skill levels. Oh well.

Given the fact that this is basically the same game as the Atari 5200 version, why did this one score so much higher? Because you can actually control your friggin' frog, that's why! I still have painful flashbacks of trying to play Frogger with a Atari 5200 controller, despite trying to block it out of my mind. Fortunately on an Atari 8-bit system you can just grab your favorite Atari 2600 joystick and have a grand old time. The arcade-style graphics won me over in a big way, especially those big, crazy looking cars. Too bad the in-game melody of the original game is missing or this would have been the ultimate Frogger. There are two difficulty settings, and the fast one is a worthy challenge that kept me coming back for continual punishment. The turtles dive quickly, and the game is rather unforgiving when you try to jump onto the very edge of the a log. But thanks to its simple yet engrossing gameplay, Frogger remains a timeless classic.

The jumping animation could be better, but the graphics look clean, colorful, and vibrant. This is every bit as playable as the arcade, and there are special features to boot. Setting the difficulty switches to B let you float off one side of the screen and reappear on the other - something you couldn't do in the arcade. In addition to novice and expert modes, you can also try your hand at "speedy Frogger". This mode lets you take fast, consecutive hops, but it tends to make your frog more accident-prone. A harmonized tune kicks off each screen, but I wish you didn't have to wait for it to end before you could begin. Frogger is a competent but unspectacular title. If you're looking for a little more razzle-dazzle, check out the superior The Official Frogger by Starpath.

Starpath versionAcquiring both a rare hardware add-on and a working cassette tape from the 80s is a tall order these days, but a CD compilation of all the Starpath titles (Stella Gets a New Brain) was released more recently, and well… the internet provides. If you do have a Supercharger, I highly recommend tracking down this version of Frogger. In some ways I prefer it even to the arcade!

It's a testament to its unpretentious gameplay that Frogger can still hold its head above the water after more than a quarter of a century and, thanks to Xbox Live Arcade, is finding a whole new generation of fans. If only he could de-throne that pesky Kermit, Frogger would take up his rightful place as the Amphibian king.

Named the Best Arcade to Home Translation of 1982 by Electronic Games Magazine, Frogger for the Atari VCS is not graphically perfect (the turtles are simple ovals, for example), but the visuals are colorful and clear. More importantly, the controls are accurate and the action captures the feel of the arcade game marvelously. The otters, which show up in later levels of the coin-op classic, are missing, but virtually everything else is firmly in place. The music only plays before and after games, but it is bright and tunefully faithful to the original. As with many Atari 2600 games, Frogger does feature options not found in the arcade game -- namely Speedy Frogger and an easier difficulty level that allows the frog to float off-screen with impunity.

Frogger is a faithful port of the Arcade classic with terrific gameplay, smooth controls and a perfect level of difficulty. While it doesn't have a great deal of longevity due to the static stage design, there's still a lot to enjoy, particularly if you're a fan of simple, high score action games.

Frogger is a very popular cart for the 2600 due to its great game play and the difficulty of it's simplistic premise.Hop and don't get run over or drown. This is a fun game because its simple, games can be played in a very short time span and it's addictive. You'll want to give this one a whirl whenever you have a spare moment.

Pong. Pac-Man. Centipede. Tetris. Galaga. Burger Time. Ah, just thinking about all of those classic video games takes me back to those moments in time when I first discovered that our TV could be used to play a game (Pong). Or that I was actually good at something down at the corner arcade (Pac-Man). Or that I could beat the pants off my brother at a video game (Burger Time). Twenty five years later, it is wonderful now to see these classic games make their way onto my preferred gaming device, the iPhone. Like the other classic games of the 80’s, Frogger has always been one of my favorites. But the question is: does it work on the iPhone?

So, would I recommend you buy Frogger? If you like unique, classic videogames, then emphatically, “yes.” At $0.99, it is a terrific bargain! It’s sort of like asking a classical music lover if she wants to hear another round of Beethoven or Mozart or Bach. There’s just something about the classics in any entertainment medium. They never seem to grow old.

Graphically Frogger is very colorful and nicely detailed. Sounds are also done quite well. Overall Frogger is enjoyable and a good translation of a classic game. Even though levels repeat they are still fun to play and always a challenge.

My only complaint is the graphics style -- instead of porting the classic imagery of the original arcade version, the designers created new sprites at an angled perspective. I would have preferred a game that looks just like the arcade as well as played like it, but playability is key -- and this Frogger is a damn fine conversion of the original. It's a great, quick, pick-up-and-play type of game -- one of those endurance games: how far can you go?

Despite the limits of the port it's still a excellent port and an excellent game to own for the Genesis. It's worth picking up, but it may take a bit of searching before you find a copy because it was the last game released for the Genesis in the USA.

Frogger appeared to be well-constructed, with two minor exceptions. The registry of high scores seemed to occasionally overlook a new record, for reasons I could not discern. Also, the transition from the high score board into a new game sometimes took repeated punches of the escape and return key. That notwithstanding, a hopping good time will be had by all. Frogger has a leg up on most of the other arcade games for the PC.

What can one say about a legend that hasn't already been said? This green glamourpuss jumped out of the arcades and into our hearts— and here he is again in yet another format— Intellivision. The amorous amphibian looks pretty much the same as he tour-jetes through traffic. It helps to have played the arcade version, if only so your imagination can embellish the rudimentary graphics on display here.

The latest conversion of this arcade fave comes from Majesco, a company that hopes it'll become well known for resurrecting old arcade classics and reissuing them for an entirely new audience of gamers. But the jury's still out on whether Frogger needed to be reworked. The game features two modes: the classic one-player mode and a two-player mode, where players take turns using the same Game Boy to rack up points. Game play is identical to the arcade version, and players who loved the original will enjoy this one too. The game is backward compatible with older Game Boys, and that dinky Frogger song sounds great coming through the tiny GBC speaker. Sadly, though, there isn't much else noteworthy about this version. At best, a decent conversion with only slightly improved graphics.

The Game Boy Color version looks better than the original arcade version and displays some fancy frog leg animation, relatively speaking, of course. It’s a great cart to have around to slap in for a few frantic moments here and there.

For nostalgic fans of the arcade game, and Super NES players looking for a new title or a good game for casual or younger players, Frogger may fit the bill very well. Don't expect a lot of flash, though. This is gaming basic.

Frogger is a classic arcade favorite that should be enjoyed universally - BUT Parker Bros. made the controls so ridiculous it nearly spoils what should be a great game. I avoid the 5200 version for this reason.

Overall, the game is priced wonderfully low and this makes it a no-brainer to grab if you like frogger. I definitely recommend buying it. It has some small quirks, but hey.. it's frogger on the iPhone. Check it out.

Simply put, Genesis Frogger has everything that made the original such a hit in the early 80's in the arcades and on home systems during its time. The whimsical music also is present. We would've liked to have seen a few new enemies or extra screens included as a bonus, since Frogger is such a simple (but fun) game by nature. However, if you liked the original, and are willing to shell out fifteen bucks for it, rest assured you'll be getting the real deal here. Beware of the Super Nintendo version... it lacks the charming music during gameplay and is overall inferior to the Sega version.

The graphics here are very close to the arcade, although your frog looks more like a spider when he faces sideways. Although some music plays before and after each game, the catchy in-game melody is conspicuous in its absence. There are two speed settings. The gameplay seems less forgiving than most Frogger games, and the turtles don't give much notice before diving. Although at first this appears to be a respectable version of the arcade hit, the control is problematic to say the least. Since the joysticks do not auto-center, you have to press the button in conjunction with pushing the joystick in order to hop. This is to prevent extra, inadvertent hops, but it makes it awfully hard to change directions quickly. Frogger of the 5200 is playable, but it's far more enjoyable on other systems.

It’s Frogger: It’s not terrible, but it just doesn’t hold up when you’ve got incredible clones like Banzai Rabbit competing for the same dollars. Unless you must have this game for the sake of having it, go for something a bit more interesting.

It's the pricepoint that causes Frogger to collapse more than anything. The tap interface works well enough to make the moments spent with the game's sole mode of play enjoyable; however, those moments are brief since there's limited gameplay to be had here – nothing has been done to evolve the classic gameplay. More content, tuned controls, and a lower price tag could have saved this dying breed.